“Everyday Struggle” and “Suicidal Thoughts” were reflections of the darker days while songs like “Gimme The Loot” found the rapper reaping the benefits from a devious lifestyle. Hell, even on his radio-friendly records, Biggie didn’t water down his skillset in the least. The rhyme schemes were as complex as the environment he was surrounded in yet he was extremely skilled in crafting together narratives that were easy to understand and follow at the same time.Īlthough reluctant, Ready To Die had a perfect balance of radio-friendly records and pure gutter bars. His autobiographical details drew people in but the way that Big’s verses were delivered was unseen at the time. “I’m seeing death and I ain’t even take my first step/ I’m ready to die and nobody can save me/ Fuck the world, fuck my moms, and my girl/ My life’s played out like a Jheri Curl, I’m ready to die,” he raps. For example, the project’s titular track finds Big imagining himself coming out of the womb with an umbilical cord tied around his neck, bringing it all back to the project’s title. But the lows, paranoia, stress, and depression sound like the bare bottom of a comedown. He details the excitement of the drug game like a high that he continues to chase. That’s the beauty of Ready To Die - there’s so much of Big’s unfiltered and raw reality blended with a romanticized version of the drug trade that his emotional vulnerability throughout the project not only captivates but immerses you into his world. But he couldn’t - he had a child on the way, his mother was suffering from cancer, and he had to make sure that he could provide for his family. A child from the projects who was trapped in a life of crime and vying for a way out. It captured the struggle that many people identified with, especially in his own Brooklyn community. Drug dealing, murder, robbery, and criminal acts were the main themes of the project but what Big did was add layers to these actions - his thoughts, emotions, regret, and reasoning behind each deed.
#Notorious big ready to die album cover movie#
Ready To Die is described as semi auto-biographical but by the way that Big rapped, every bar felt like a scene out of a movie and Biggie was our trusted narrator. It’s those same corners where he freestyled and sold drugs that served as the inspiration behind the album. The term “unsigned hype” wasn’t used for influencers with 1M followers and only one song to show - it was used for wordsmiths like Biggie whose name spread by word of mouth thanks to a penchant for rapping on NYC street corners. Cassette tapes were just beginning to phase-out in favor of compact discs, while streaming services, let alone websites like Napster were barely imaginable. Times were different 25 years ago when Big unleashed Ready To Die. The Notorious B.I.G’s life was cut short at the age of 24 with only one album under his belt, Ready To Die - an album that can confidently be placed among greatest albums of all time.
Not many people are able to achieve this within their career-span, since it takes. Classic albums are just that: timeless bodies of work that still resonate years on, even decades after its release. Yet, we all know, a classic album is only determined through the test of time. Your favorite rapper probably called his or her's upcoming album a “classic” before it even hit shelves. From Lil Wayne’s "Tha Carter III" cover to Travis Scott's “SICKO MODE,” "Ready To Die" followed hip-hop on its journey to becoming a global phenomenon.
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